This invention concerns the growing of plants in containers, and more specifically relates to a collapsible, compactly storable tower or cage particularly for climbing plants.
Growing tomatoes requires the use of some sort of cage (tower) to support the vines during growth and to keep them off the ground. Indeterminate (as opposed to determinate) tomatoes are particularly prone to vine like growth. Before the end of the growing season the weight of the vines tend to tip over a conventional tomato cage. At the end of the growing season unruly vines must be uprooted, disposed of and the cumbersome cages stored until the next season. Conventional cages can consist of simple cylinders of wire mesh or wire contraptions purchased at a nursery that are clumsy and unwieldy to stow.
Tomato plants are also vulnerable to rabbits, squirrels and subterranean vermin such as moles, voles and gofers.
Growing tomatoes is limited to in-ground planting or in large pots for patio and balcony cultivation.
Because of inherent limitations, tomatoes are not generally grown inside residences.
By placing a bag of potting soil (one or two cubic foot size, top of bag opened and the bottom perforated for water drainage) into a mesh basket (e.g, about 14-16″ wide and 14-18″ high, designed to collapse for storage such as chain mail) that has a small enough mesh to thwart vermin and by affixing the baskets upper rim to the inside legs (for stability) of a tripod that is approximately six feet high in height and by draping a tapered coil (metal or plastic, designed for this purpose) around the outside of the tripod from the top to near the bottom of the tripod in order to support the growth of the plant that is planted in the bag of potting soil, all of the problems stated above are dealt with in an original, simple manner.
With the system of the invention, vermin cannot penetrate the mesh basket. Tomato vines are supported by the coil during growth and propagation. Location is versatile, in that tomatoes (or other plants) can be just as easily grown outdoors on top of the ground, or on patios, balconies, rooftops or indoors.
At the end of the season, vines are trimmed and placed in a garbage bag or compost pile and the spent bag of potting soil with the root ball can be easily disposed of or the soil cleaned and recycled. An important feature of the invention is that the basket will collapse flat, the coil will collapse flat, the tripod can be broken down into sections, and all can be stored in a small flat box (similar to a pizza box) or other container until the next season.
The invention is unique in many respects. It utilizes a freestanding (unpotted) bag of potting soil for the growing medium, and involves a mesh or similar basket attached to the tripod for stability, the basket retaining the bag of soil. The weight of the bag of potting soil in the mesh basket further solidifies and stabilizes the tripod. The mesh basket also will thwart vermin, as noted above. A further unique feature is the coil used in conjunction with the tripod as a stable tomato cage and climbing element. By utilizing a saucer to catch water under the mesh basket, the tomato cage of the invention can conveniently be used indoors even on wood or carpeted floors, like a house plant. A very important advantage is the ability to collapse the entire mechanism into a compact and reusable package for storage.
Plants other than tomatoes can also be grown in the device of the invention. Examples are beans, tomatillos and other vines, including climbing flowers such as morning-glories. With baskets at two or three levels, non-climbing plants can be grown on the device.
Although a potting soil bag is preferably preferred, a standard planting pot, such as a clay pot, could be placed within the basket.
In one embodiment of the invention, the coil for climbing can comprise a tubular, clear foil that houses a string of small grow lights similar to certain twinkle light designs. Accessories that can be included with the kit or system include feet for the tripod, to reduce the risk of sinking into soft soil. The feet can also double as a cap for the top of the tripod if it utilizes a base designed with three holes in suitable arrangement for receiving the top ends of the tripod legs. Further, the three holed foot will allow for multiple tripods to be clipped and grouped together, for further stability.
In another aspect of the invention, the kit of parts sold in a compact package or box can include some but not all of the above described components. Within this minimal package are a freestanding collapsible basket and some form of frame or footing to hold the basket in an erected condition in which it can retain a bag of soil with a plant or plants rooted in the soil. The basket and support are both collapsible or dismantleable so as to be compactly stored in a flattened condition in a relatively thin box or package.
As discussed above, tomato cages are in themselves well known. Such cages for tomatoes or other climbing plants are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,922,943, 6,088,956, 5,174,060, 4,860,489, 4,858,380, 4,841,670, 4,081,148, 4,019,280, 2,577,373, 2,000,911, 1,025,073, 85,244, and DES. 241,567. See also U.K. published patent application No. GB 2237964. Some of the above included provision for collapsing the cage or tower.
Other patents disclosing growing of plants confined by wire baskets or in a bag or similar device, or simply showing wire basket apparatus, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,495,692, 5,241,783, 5,193,306, and 1,464,801, as well as U.K. published application No. GB 2200024. See also “Veggie Cage The Revolutionary New Plant Support For Growing Tomatoes”, on the web site tomato-cages.com, disclosing an expandable tapered helical tomato cage device.
It is an object of the current invention to simplify the growing of tomatoes and other similar climbing plants, and to provide versatility to grow such plants nearly anywhere, as described above, while providing the entire set of components, excluding the soil, in a flattened condition suitable for storage in a box generally about the size of a pizza box. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.